A few days before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the United States team closed its preparation with a 1-2 defeat against Germany in a friendly in Chicago. The match, marked by intensity and competitive demand, left the team led by Mauricio Pochettino with mixed feelings before their World Cup debut against Paraguay.

The German team struck from the start and ended up winning thanks to goals from Kai Havertz and Leroy Sané. The United States, who managed to react after the rival's early goal, found the tie through Antonee Robinson, but could not sustain the result in the second half. The duel developed with an unusual intensity for a friendly and even recorded moments of tension between the players in the final minutes.

The first decisive action came when barely a minute into the game. Joshua Kimmich executed a foul in the area and Havertz appeared unopposed to push the ball into the net, taking advantage of a loss of mark by Miles Robinson.

Far from crumbling after the initial blow, the American team responded with character. Although he once again showed some defensive problems that had already appeared in recent matches, he also showed the ability to react against one of the strongest teams on the international scene.

The reward came in the 37th minute. After a corner kick taken by Christian Pulisic and partially cleared by Jonathan Tah, Antonee Robinson hit a powerful volley from outside the area that left goalkeeper Oliver Baumann with no options. The tie allowed the United States to reach halftime with options intact in a completely full Soldier Field.

A demanding exam before the World Cup

Both Pochettino and German coach Julian Nagelsmann decided to keep the same eleven players at the start of the second half. Unlike the previous friendly against Senegal, when the Argentine coach made numerous changes during the break, this time he opted to give continuity to the starting team.

For several minutes, the United States seemed to be going through their best moment of the match. However, Germany once again showed its offensive effectiveness. In the 57th minute, Havertz set up Leroy Sané inside the area, who precisely scored against Matt Freese. The shot took a slight deflection off a defender before ending up in the back of the goal.

Substitutions began after the hour mark and the pace dropped slightly. Even so, both teams created opportunities to change the score. None of them ended in a goal and the 1-2 score remained until the final whistle.

The match also left a warning sign for the World Cup host. With the two goals conceded against Germany, the United States has conceded 11 goals in its last four warm-up friendlies, a figure that reflects the defensive difficulties it will have to correct before the start of the tournament.

The defeat came in the last competitive test before the World Cup debut. The United States will begin its participation next Friday against Paraguay in Los Angeles. Germany, for its part, will begin its World Cup journey two days later when it faces Curaçao in Houston.